Bottle-cleaning machine



May 13, 1924. 1,493,914

- E. ZANGERLU BOTTLE CLEANING MACHINE Filed April 2 1921 Patented May 13, 19254. i

EUGENE ZANGERLU, OF GHABENTON, FRANCE.

BOTTLE-CLEANING MACHINE.

Application fiIedApriI 2,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE ZANGERLU, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at Charenton, Seine, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Cleaning Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in bottle washing machines of the type comprising a drum rotatable in a tank of washing liquid and provided with rows of pivoted bottle carriers adapted to be tilted by cams for emptying the bottles.

According to the present invention the drum is provided with a plurality of pivoted bottle receptacles adapted to be angularly moved in proximity to plates fixed to the drum so that the said plates partially close the receptacles and retain the bottles therein while they are passing through the tank, but so that the said receptacles-are open to enable bottles to be inserted or removed therefrom outside the tank.

The invention also consists in various details of construction hereinafter fully described and specifically pointed out in the claims.

A construction of the machine according to this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows the whole of the machine in side elevation, some of the parts being removed for the sake of clearness.

Figure 2 shows on an enlarged scale two bottle receptacles one in the position on leaving the washing bath and the other in the position for delivering the bottles.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of a part of one of the bottle receptacles.

The machine comprises a sheet metal drum 1 driven in any desired manner and rotating in a vat 2. To the said drum are pivoted a series of parallelepiped-shaped receptacles 3 provided with large perforations, open at the top and divided into a number of cells 4 for receiving the bottles 5 to be washed.

In order to efiect a rapid filling of the bottles when they are passing through the vat 2 and to ensure their being completely emptied before they are delivered on to the receiving table 21, the receptacles 3 are angularly moved in front of curved plates 6 .provided with recesses 7 for affording pas sage to the necks of the bottles. The said 1921. Serial No. 457,937.

covers are permanently secured to the drum 1 and serve to retain the bottles in the receptacles 3 when the bottles are passing through the vat 2 wit-h their necks pointing downwards. The movement of the receptacles 3 in one direction is brought about by means of levers 8 keyed to the spindles 9 of said receptacles and provided with rollers 10.

These rollers roll on a cam 11 secured to the frame of the machine. The receptacles 3 are always brought into the position in which the open tops of said receptacles are partially closed by the plates 6 so that the bottles 5 when inverted cannot fall therefrom by springs'l2, which closingposition is limited by stops 13 secured tothe underside of the plates 6. I

A pipe 14 provided with small nozzles 15 and secured to the lever 16, is operated by a connecting rod 17 pivoted to the crank 18 driven in any desired manner, but always so that its speed remains in a given proportion to that of the shaft of the drum. The pipe 14; is surrounded by a tube 19 to which are secured small mouths or sockets 20 concentrio with the nozzles 15. The ends ofthe tube 19 are in communication with overflows outside the vat 2. The pipe 14 is fed constantly with water under pressure, and this fresh water escapes. through the tube 19 and the overflows and never becomes mixed with the solution contained inthe vat and described elsewhere.

The table 21 is inclined and provided with grooves for guiding the bottles, after they leave the receptacles 3. The travel of the bottles on the table 21 is limited by a blade 22 also operated and reciprocated by the crank 18. Two rollers 23 with a fixed spindle carrying the arms 24: which control the blade, cause the latter to describe an arc of a circle above the stopped bottles during its return to the right of the drawing. This movement leaves the row of bottles previously retained by the blade 22 free to be pushed along the table 21 by the said blade during its forward movement into position on the table 21 ready to receive the next row of bottles delivered by the rotating drum.

A. pipe 25 provided with suitable openin s at its lower part, is arranged above the tab e 21, this pipe is controlled by a cock automatically operated in any desired manner and serves to rinse the outside of the bottles. Two agitators 26 immersed into the solution of the vat, are operated also in any desired manner.

A hood 27 and a chimney 28 surmount the machine.

The working of the machine is as follows:

One of the attendants of the machine, standing on the right in Figure 1, introduces the bottles to be washed into the open receptacles in front of him, the drum 1 rotating in the direction of the arrow and the rollers 10 following the cam 11. When the rollers 10 pass off the cam 11, the receptacles are brought by the springs 12 into the position in which their open tops are partially closed by the fixed plates 6. The bottles are thus held by the said plates, the recesses 7 of which allow only the necks of the bottles to pass. The movement of the drum continuing, the bottles are immersed into a potash solution of a suitable concentration and temperature, contained in the vat, and become filled completely and quickly. The bottles then emerge therefrom on the opposite side of the vat in such a position that they are quickly and completely emptied. The bottles having been emptied, the pipe 14 operated by the lever 16, connecting rod 17 and crank 18, comes into contact with the ends of the necks of the bottles which are centered in the mouths or sockets 20. A valve (not shown in the drawing) which is automatically opened, allows a current of water under pressure to pass at the suitable moment, the current of water being projected into the interior of the bottles through the nozzles 15, thus washing and rinsing the bottles for the second time before they leave the receptacles. Immediately the rinsing is finished, the rollers 10 again meet the cam 11 thus causing the receptacles to swing and release the bottles, which owing to their inclination, slide on the table 21 until they strike the blade 22 against which they stop. The 'said blade, actuated by the crank 18, then passes above the row of stopped bottles, and is laid again on the table behind the said bottles and pushes them gently towards the lower end of the table where they are collected, the blade 22 thus returning into position to receive the row of bottles coming out from the next receptacle. Any risk of shocks and breakage are thus eliminated.

The pipe 25 arranged above the table 21 and fed in the same way as the pipe 14: and from the same source, ensures the rinsing of the outside of the bottles during their slow movement along the table 21.

The object of the rotary agitators 26 is: to render uniform the temperature and the composition of the bath, in case of heating and the utilization of potash solution, and also to remove any floating substances (fragments of cork, labels etc.) "from the surface of the bath and consequently from the bottles at the moment when they are leaving the bath.

The hood 27 and the chimney 28 ensure discharge of the vapours generated by the bath.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A bottle cleaning machine, comprising a drum rotatable in a tank of washingliquid, a plurality of bottle receptacles pivoted to said drum, plates fixed to the drum, and means for angularly moving said receptacles in proximity to said plates so'that the plates partially close the receptacles and retain the bottles therein while they are passing through said tank, said plate limiting the movement of the receptacles but so that said receptacles are open to enable bottles to be inserted or removed therefrom outside the tank.

2. A bottle cleaning machine, comprising a drum rotatable in a tank of washingliquid, a plurality of bottle receptacles pivoted to said drum, plates fixed to the drum, levers keyed to the pivots of said receptacles, a stationary cam, rollers on said levers adapted to engage said cam to cause the bottle receptacles to turn so that bottles can be inserted and removed therefrom, and springs for moving said recptacles into the position in which they are partially closed by said plate.

3. A bottle cleaning machine, comprising a drum rotatable in a tank of washingliquid, a plurality of bottle receptacles pivoted to said drum, means for angularly moving said receptacles in proximity to plates fixed to the drum, stops on said plates adapted to engage a receptacle, said plates being so shaped and located that they partially close the receptacles in one extreme position of said receptacles while in the other extreme position the receptacles are open for the insertion or withdrawal of bottles.

4:. A bottle cleaning machine, comprising a drum rotatable in a tank of washingliquid, a main drive therefor a plurality of bottle receptacles pivoted to said drum, plates fixed to the drum adapted to partially cover the mouth of said receptacles, means for angularly moving said receptacles in proximity to said plates, a pipe supplied with rinsing water, nozzles on said pipe, a tube surrounding said pipe and connected to overflow pipes outside the tank, sockets secured to said tube and concentric with said nozzles, and means actuated from the main drive of the machine to cause said pipe to come into contact with the ends of the necks of the bottles which are centered in said sockets after said bottles have been emptied ot the liquid in the tank.

5. A bottle cleaning machine, comprising a drum rotatable in a tank of Washingliquid, a plurality of bottle receptacles pivoted to said drum, plates fixed to the drum adapted to partially cover the mouth of said receptacles, means for angularly moving said receptacles in proximity to said plates, means for rinsing the interior of the bottles after they have been emptied of the liquid in the tank, an inclined bottle receiving table, means for moving said blade to behind said row of bottles and then to cause the blade to push the bottles along said table, and a pipe supplied with outside of the bottles.

6. A bottle cleaning machine, comprising a sheet metal drum rotatable in a tank of Washing-liquid, a main drive therefor a plurality of perforated parallelepiped-shaped bottle receptacles pivoted to said drum, curved plates fixed to said drum and provided With recesses for afiording passage to the necks of the bottles, means for an gularly moving said receptacles in proxa stop blade for a row of bottles,

Water for rinsing the imity to said'plates, stops on said plates limiting the movement of said receptacles in one direction, means actuated from the main drive of the machine for rinsing the interior of the bottles, a bottle receiving table, a blade acting both as a stop and pusher for the roW of bottles, means for reciprocating said blade, and means for rinsing the outside of the bottles.

"FLA bottle Washing machine including a rotatable drum, bottle receptacles pivoted to said drum, plates also secured to said drum between receptacles, each plate being adapted to limit movement of a receptacle in one direction and simultaneously partially cover the mouth of an adjacent receptacle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of;

tWo subscribing Witnesses.

- EUGENE ZANGERLU.

Witnesses:

GEORGES FAUGER, ROGER RAGUER. 

